Category: For Parents »

Toontastic is a wonderfully creative and educational app for iPad which allows children of all ages 5 and up to create their own animated shorts, learning about the dramatic structure commonly used within storytelling.

I am greatly impressed by this app, as this application allows kids to choose from different location and character elements as well as use their own drawings to create an animated cartoon.

Intuitive to use, this app helps children to create more complex stories than they may be accustomed to as this teaches the principles of dramatic structure, breaking down the story to be told into a story arc of the traditional five scenes. For the purposes of this app, these five sections are called Setup, Conflict, Challenge, Climax and Resolution and include a concise and easily understood explanation of what each of these scenes should entail thematically.

It is nice that the page describing these scenes has a diagram of these scenes, creating an image somewhat akin to the traditional “Freytag’s Pyramid” used to illustrate the five sections of the traditional story arc.

Easy to use, players tap each scene from beginning to end and choose a location from those provided, including different landscapes appropriate for a pirate, space, or royal motifs. Once the setting is chosen, scroll through the characters available bottom of the screen, tapping to make one’s choices appear with this scene. From here, one can arrange these characters, re-size them, and even change the colors to details found amongst these characters.

I especially like how multiples of these same characters can be used within a scene if one wishes, and do play around with articulating the moving elements of these characters such as moving an arm holding a sword up and down to duel, and note that one can have these characters face right, left, or straight ahead. Users can start the animation at any time, although the moving of these elements past simply dragging the characters around the page can be difficult and one may need to practice a few times to get the finer articulated movements down the way one wishes.

The ability to record narration or dialogue to be heard within this scene is also intuitive and produces well-done results. Do move the characters around the page as these movements will be captured and played back within this scene. When complete, music can be chosen that corresponds with the emotion the scene at hand is trying to convey, and it is interesting that one can choose from music selections that also correspond to the “emotional energy,” found within each scene, as one is able to move the level of energy with the tap of up or down arrows, creating different musical choices depending on the energy level chosen.

I appreciate how players can draw their own backgrounds and characters, complete with the sophisticated color choice of allowing one to grab and color from the rainbow of choices provided, as well as a relatively fine paintbrush point, allowing for some details and a paint bucket method of filling in sections of one’s artwork - my choice tool for filling in areas with color. I had a few unresponsive moments testing out this function of creating one's own drawings, but for the most part I think that this drawing section works well and is a valuable inclusion within this app. It is especially nice that narrated prompts can be turned on throughout this app, allowing non-readers to create their own cartoons as well.

I am impressed with the well known music selections available, making this app very educational in terms of music appreciation, allowing children to become familiar with well known musical pieces such as “Rhapsody in Blue,” Pachelbel's “Canon in D,” and other familiar scores such as the theme to the movie 2001, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, or Ride of the Valkyries - recognizable to many by the famous Bugs Bunny episode “What’s Opera, Doc” otherwise known as “Kill the Rabbit.”

Do listen to all the music selections available to find the piece that will truly work within a specific scene. I sometimes had a difference of opinion as to what music fit what emotion, an interesting aspect that can create some nice open-ended conversations about how music can be used to create emotion - just as important a lesson to learn as the dramatic structure itself.

I really wish, however, that all these famous pieces of music were given proper credit, for me this is a real bummer that this information is not included.

Toontastic is a great app for both school as well as home settings and can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages and abilities, and it is nice that completed cartoons can be saved to the iPad or shared online for others to enjoy as well. I am happy to see a thoughtfully written section for parents and educators fully explaining how to get the most out of the app.

This app does have some limitations, as I was not able to fully move my characters off the screen to have them leave a scene, and I do wish that more objects were available for these characters to interact with. This is less of an issue if one has the ability to draw the added items one may be looking to use, and in app purchases of more motifs are available, complete with both background and included characters, but I wish more was offered per each additional purchase.

Having said this, Toontasic is an important app that both parents and educators should be aware of. This is an app I have recommended to friends - both parents as well as teachers - to use in their classrooms. This app teaches invaluable lessons about storytelling to kids who are never too young about this, and who will benefit greatly from being exposed to in this manner.

Paul Bunyan, told by Jonathan Winters, is a fun new Read-Play-and-Record Along Rabbit Ears interactive storybook that delightfully re-tells the great American folklore of Paul Bunyan with wonderful narration and fun illustrations. Like the other apps from this series, this app is universal and can be watched like a video or read like a book, and one can make one’s own recording as well.

For those who do not know, Paul Bunyan is one of the most famous characters from North American folklore. Bunyan was said to be larger than life both in stature as well as in his logging abilities as a lumberjack. Here, with the aid of his animal companion, Babe, the blue ox, Bunyan tackles President Teddy Roosevelt's request to clear the trees of the Dakotas for settlers to make new homes.

It is a wonderful choice to have Jonathan Winters narrate this tall tale, doing a terrific job, especially as this story is played for the most part, for laughs and includes some fun moments of action and adventure, more so than many of the other applications from this series that may have a melancholy tone. The music accompanying these apps have always been uniformly perfect, as is the case here with the music from acoustic guitarist, Leo Kottke.

True to the style of these Rabbit Ears interactive storybooks, the illustrations found within the storybook section are used throughout the video, as this artwork is panned and zoomed in to show details and other effects. Images from the storybook also fade into each other, creating a montage effect, moving along the video in what would be from one page to the next. Different from the other apps in this library that very literally use the same images found within the storybook section, many of the images here are more adaptations as they may vary from what is found within the storybook.

The illustrations found in the book section have a fun and charming look to them that is in contrast with the earnestly beautiful watercolors found other Rabbit Ears titles - here, oftentimes cartoony implied movement are included as some slapstick humor is incorporated nicely to complement the over-the-top antics which Paul Bunyan and the other loggers demonstrate.

In the video, mild but effective animations are simply used to make these movements more realized and less implied, and other simple animated moments are included as well, such as snow or rain falling, or Babe’s eyes opening as Bunyan warms this poor frozen creature back to life. Images found in the video do not always correspond to the illustrations found page by page within the book, making both watching the video and reading the storybook different experiences.

It is worth noting that here, a more modern ending has been included that some may call politically correct, giving Bunyan remorse for clearing all the forests of their trees in an ending that makes me think of Dr. Seuss's The Lorax.

Although the text remains the same, the imagery used to tell the ending of this story in the video and storybook sections are different, as in the storybook, these lines of text displayed are on pages full of empty, blighted land with a peek of forests, either snow caped or only as tree tops used as end pages for this book.

On the other hand, the video has these last moments taking place in a lush, thick forest now inhabited by Bunyan as he has since quit logging and is now planting trees. Here, this moment also includes a nice visual effect in which this forest has a surprising three-dimensional look that I found very effective, also found in the beginning of this video, further creating two different experiences within this one app.

Although I understand that this ending is not a part of the mythology of Paul Bunyan, I appreciate this resolution as it changes the tone in an interesting way - from light-hearted and fun to somber and thoughtful.

However, I can also imagine parents uncomfortable with this ending if one is simply looking for a fun, feel-good story about Paul Bunyan. I can also imagine this ending may even be off-putting to some who believe the ecology theme included in some ways minimizes the hard work put forth by loggers of days past.

Some parents may also give pause at the idea of this classic character being simply changed, as fans of this application will be familiar with a Paul Bunyan different that the classic folklore, while others may appreciate this new environmentally friendly ending.

My son and I have enjoyed this tall tale turned application. I truly hope to see more Rabbit Ears interactive storybooks in the future. Although I am grateful that one’s page is held because these books tend to be lengthy, it would be nice to add a menu of pages as well to aid parents in finding specific moments that kids may especially enjoy - just a thought.

Please also note that today is the last day of the sale price of $1.99 for all Ruckus Media Group apps, and more importantly, that all the proceeds of the sales of these apps will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. If you have not already done so, you may want to check out what apps Ruckus Media Group has in iTunes to purchase for this worthy cause.

Thumbelina, told by Kelly McGillis, is a wonderful adaptation of this classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, developed by Ruckus Mobile Media. This version of this classic story is also part of the library of tales created by Rabbit Ears Entertainment, known for incorporating award-winning stories, amazing celebrity narrations and phenomenal music and art. These applications are universal apps and can be watched like a video or read like a book, and one can make one’s own recording as well.

Thumbelina is a tale about a girl born to a childless couple with the aid of magic who grows only to be the size of one’s thumb and the adventures she experiences as she is unwillingly taken from her home to be married off to various creatures who find that her size and beauty make her good marriage material.

This classic tale, written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1835, is a true favorite story of mine as I love the imagery of a young woman so small that she can sleep in a walnut shell as well as the interesting anthropomorphic animals she meets along the way that are so very human, although oftentimes in ways most unflattering.

Being a lengthy children’s tale, many characters are introduced within this story, and I have noticed that other apps as well as children’s books and other media based on the original tend to touch upon the plot points found within but can remain rather disjointed as a complete narrative. I am happy to say that the thorough re-telling of this classic will satisfy children of all ages as well as adult Andersen fans, although I do wish that a new name were given to Thumbelina when she becomes queen of the fairy people as is traditionally found within this story, as the name Thumbelina is in fact a slightly pejorative reference to her height in comparison to a human thumb, an issue no longer relevant once married to the fairy king, and the re-naming of Thumbelina to Maia symbolizes a new beginning.

The look of the included video is simply captivating, hand-drawn and lovingly painted in water color. Some close-ups show the texture of the paper as well, adding to the richness of this lushly illustrated story. Narrator Kelly McGillis does a wonderful job of narrating this story, with a soothing, almost sleepy tone, skillfully re-told as this video is both relaxing as it is captivating. The music of Mark Isham is also perfectly realized, working wonderfully alongside the other elements to fully create a world in which this story takes place.

I appreciate greatly how pretty both the world around her and Thumbelina herself are with these simple, tender illustrations, with a great contrast to the gruesome creatures also introduced such as frogs, june bugs, and a most unpleasant mole, with great voices created to further develop these antagonistic characters.

I also enjoy how the artwork used within the storybook sections of this app are also transformed into moving images for the video with the use of the “Ken Burns Effect” as these water color paintings found within this app have been panned and zoomed into, directing the reader where to look and creating a sense of drama within this story. Although the video section is watched like a movie, the effect here is unlike something commonly seen on television and will impress even those who are not keen on kids spending time with kids videos as this is in fact an alternative way of exploring artwork.

These illustrations are also found within the storybook sections as well, but they are slightly concealed in some areas of the screen by a window that is includes text within a white background all its own, semi obscuring the painting beneath. This does make the text easy to read, especially helpful when recording a personal narrated tract, but I can’t help wonder if a simple band on the bottom of the screen would have distracted less from the very special artwork.

I have used this video section to calm my son mid melt-down with great success because from the first few moments of listening to this opening score, earnest and beautiful, combined with the impressive water colors. This is a very engaging, yet relaxing experience for my son, who quickly settles down to listen to this story, forgetting what was causing him concern.

This app is an impressive length of almost half and hour and 73 pages found in the storybook, making this a lovely choice of application to share with children of all ages on long trips, keeping kids occupied with a great experience in both art and literature that parents can feel good about. Sometimes I enjoy simply listening to these Ruckus storybook apps as this alone is a lovely experience, making the video mode something everyone on a long car ride can enjoy, even if not directly looking at the images.

Please also be aware that through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, all the proceeds of the sales from Ruckus Media Groups Read-Play-and-Record Along Rabbit Ears interactive storybooks, along with their other apps, will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I feel privileged to have been able to review the majority of Ruckus Media Group apps, so I know from personal experience how terrific they all are. This, combined with the wonderful charity they are now connected with, and the fact that during this time each are on sale for $1.99 makes these apps wonderful digital stocking stuffers and Chanukah gifts, with different apps available for every age range, including adults.

Mr. Cloud, developed by Ownage Studios, is another app for iPhone/iPod touch/iPad that looks to be for younger children, but is really not. The description reads, “Wow! Wee! Uhh! Cheerful and friendly Mr. Cloud is flying in the sky while making colourful rainbows and happy faces. He knows how to cheer you up when you are down, and make you giggle when you are happy. Try it and you will see!”

Using your finger to control the cloud's movements, the object is to avoid obstacles like vines, rain clouds and castles as long as possible. If you run into any of these things, it's game over, and you have to start back at the beginning. If you can manage to stay alive long enough, you will begin to collect the colors of the rainbow, one at a time, until you have created a full rainbow. So far, no one on my team has been able to achieve the full rainbow (my team being myself, and my app testers/kids, ages 9 and 6). My 9-year-old daughter and I have collected two colors, and my son has collected three colors.

The graphics are absolutely adorable, and I would agree that this is a cheerful and colorful app. That being said, there is just one problem...this game is hard! I mean super hard! There are so many obstacles getting in the way of your forward momentum, that you might be able to clear one thing, only to be brought down by the next. In this way, I think the developer overdid it. The other thing that I don't like is, if you fail a level, you have to start over at the beginning. I think the game would be much easier and more satisfying if you could keep all the colors you have collected even after you fail a level. My kids and I found it to be incredibly frustrating to collect several colors only to have to start all over at the beginning again with none.

So, here's my take-away. Cute graphics and addictive game play? Yes, definitely, but this app is not designed for preschoolers, as the name and description might suggest. Because of the level of skill needed to actually beat it, I would rate this game appropriate for ages 8 and up (and for those who have high tolerance for frustration!).

What was I Scared of? - Dr. Seuss is a wonderful classic tale, perfect for the Halloween season as well as any time of year one is in the mood for a good, spooky story with the added benefit of a moral here as well.

What was I Scared of? is a tale told in the first person from the point-of-view of the main character as he becomes most disturbed by seeing an eerie, empty pale green pair of pants walking around town with nobody in them. As this boy continues on his daily activities, he keeps running into this empty pair of pants which this boy finds most unsettling, leading up to a close encounter with these empty pants that compels this boy to shriek for help, causing these pants to cry. The empty pant’s reaction makes this boy quickly develop empathetic feelings for the empty pants, calming them down and becoming friends.

This is a very special story for our family as this tale is my husband’s favorite story of all time, originally published as a short story, as part of a compilation of Seuss tales in The Sneetches and other Stories.

As a child, my husband called this story “The pants with nobody inside them,” but when I first downloaded this book for my son, I instantly knew that this was the tale that shaped his childhood.

Like the other Dr. Seuss apps brought to devices by Oceanhouse Media, this ebook allows one to listen to narration or not, as well as the option of Auto-Play where the page turning is automatic - a nice choice for young readers, even allowing one to put the device down and simply listen to these stories. An interactive element is also used here where one can tap objects found on the screen to see and hear these words displayed prominently, although the narration of these words never talks over the reading of these stories, a nice touch as is the highlighting of the text if this app is enjoyed in "Read To Me" or "Auto Play" mode.

The look of this app is very faithful to the original art found in this story, as the images from each page in the tale can be found within. Here, the “Ken Burns Effect” is used, with the panning and zooming of these illustrations to correspond with lines of text, guiding readers where to look for great effect.

What was I Afraid of? is a more monochromatic tale than other Dr. Seuss stories, taking place at night and using a wonderful dark turquoise with black detailing that fills most of these scenes, the backlit screen of the iPad and iPhone really makes this color pop, as it does the pale yellow and green used in bringing these characters to life.

For me, what has made this app a favorite of mine is the included music which elevated this book into masterpiece territory. This music used so eloquently translates the characters' hesitation, trepidation and fear, with poetic use of a xylophone and the deep, somber tone of the bassoon in ways that very much moved me.

I admit that when asked, my husband says that as a kid having the story read to him by his mother, this tale was more wonderfully strange and odd to him, not scary at all, but the tone this music brings to this story is decidedly suspenseful and creepy, adding an editorial spin within this classic - a decision that works for me wonderfully, but I can imagine that very sensitive children might be upset by the mood created here.

Narration is included that is well-done in its own way, but my husband would have preferred to dig Boris Karloff up from the grave to narrate this story. This not being possible, I know he would have preferred someone with a deeper, more resonating voice than the option offered of a woman who pleasantly narrates this app.

Having said this, this is a note that does not greatly affect my enjoyment of this application, and a different voice combined with the included music may have made this scarier than what most children could apprecaite. Parents also have the option of reading this book to their children as well if they so desire, and it is especially nice that the musical score can still be heard when the narration is turned off.

I am glad to report that my son enjoys this story very much as well, listening to it long past last year’s Halloween season when we first purchased this app. This story also contains an important lesson about judging others on first appearances and tolerance told in a way that is most memorable and affecting.

If one has not already added this storybook to their library of apps, I highly recommend them to do so, not only for this Halloween season, but for a long time to come as well.

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories - Dr. Seuss - is a wonderful anthology of stories originally published in magazines during the 1950’s and which have been rediscovered and recently published as a book title of the same name. It has also become an important universal app - a necessary addition to the library of any age fan of Dr. Seuss.

Seven stories are included, each full of the wondrous Dr. Seuss style of imaginative anthropomorphic characters, beautifully odd illustrations, and fantastical rhyming prose that Seuss is known for. I have decided not to synopsize each of these stories as I don’t want to rob readers of truly experiencing these stories for the first time, but this information is provided in this app's iTunes description if one is interested. I can say, however, that it is great fun to see some ideas used here re-worked into later stories, and it is good to know that these tales do each contain a narrative plot line - my favorite style of Seuss.

This app works the way the other Dr. Seuss apps from Oceanhouse Media do, offering readers the chance to read this book themselves, with narration or on auto play, which includes narration, but with pages that turn on their own - great for young children and even for putting the phone down and just listening to these magical stories. As this is a compilation of stories, first select a story with a tap as icons representing these tales are displayed on the title page of this app, and from here one can choose the reading style of interest. It is also nice that this app will save one’s space in a story, making it easy to pick up where one left off easily if the tale is not finished within one sitting.

We are fans of Dr. Seuss in our house, owning many of these apps based on classic Dr. Seuss books and short stories. I am always impressed with their use of the “Ken Burns effect" of panning and zooming the original artwork, bringing readers closer to specific details that highlight moments of these stories and the breaking down large pages of text into shorter verses that aid in the reading out loud of these stories.

Another aspect that Oceanhouse Media apps do well is giving users a chance to tap objects within these pages to both see and hear these items being highlighted, with a lovely style which thoughtfully does not speak over narration, and it is fun that when reading these stories to themselves, this interactive element still applies - nice touches that I appreciate.

It is also interesting how one can tap a single word or an entire paragraph to be read out loud - a very nice feature that also works when the narration is turned off, giving the reader help with word pronunciation or even tapping word-for-word for listening and developing a sense of sentence structure. I greatly enjoy as well the ambient noises and sound effects used within these stories, bringing a richness to these tales that is subtle yet extremely effective.

Readers of this specific app, The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories - Dr. Seuss - will enjoy the narration included as these tales are read by four very good professional voice actors as they each have a personal style that added to the story that is being narrated.

For me, the standout here is the narration by John Bell, who here reads The Bippolo Seed and Steak For Supper, as well as other Seuss books by Oceanhouse Media.

Bell has the perfect radio voice and his narrative abilities here remind me of a great Shakespearean actor who can recite lines of Shakespeare using subtle pauses and intonations in a way that makes these lines of dialogue utterly understandable and relatable - no small feat, to say the least.

Here, Bell has a knack for reading Seuss in a way that I find most engaging and comprehensible in a deeper sense than when I hear these stories read by other narrators, or when I try to read these stories out loud myself. I can also see my son most fascinated by Bell's narration, sitting up and taking in what he is listening to, mouth slightly open as he is enamored by what he is hearing. Bell’s choices for these character voices hit all the right notes and bring an important sense of emotion that I greatly enjoy, flushing out the great imagery created by Dr. Seuss, especially with The Bippolo Seed, sometimes wonderfully taking on tangents beyond the corresponding illustrations.

It is a selfish request of mine that I ask developers reading this review to consider John Bell for their next voiceover project as his voice talent is so great that I have bought apps based solely on his included narration and will continue to do so. I have also enjoyed his voice acting in the iPad eBook, Melvin Says There’s Monsters, also reviewed on GiggleApps.

I highly recommend this app to any fan of Dr Seuss for any age - from the very young to adult - as they are important works of early Dr. Seuss and I am super-excited that these stories have been re-discovered.

Smart Tot Rattle is an interesting app for the youngest members of the family, as this app consists of the high-contrast colors of red, black, white, along with the use of geometric shapes all said to be visually stimulating to babies.

Four themes are included and each contains its own highly contrasting background of circles, checkerboard, stars or stripes, presented in black and white and corresponding to the included themes of balls, kites, stars, and flowers. It is nice that these items in the foreground also contain vivid colors such as blue, green, or yellow, making these items really pop.

A physics engine is used here, making the objects included bounce around the screen with the drag of a finger or by moving the iPhone. Pleasant chime sounds are also incorporated and can be heard with the tap of a finger or when these items bump into each other on the screen, and one can feel vibrations when the device is shaken.

Parents have a few selections to choose from, specifically if they want to include the use of sound effects, and how often (if at all) the motifs will change, ranging anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds, and one can leave the app set to one desired background as well.

The look of this application is indeed engaging: I can see how a baby would be interested in looking at this app. It would make an ultimate distraction for doctors' offices when vaccinations and the like are given, and I appreciate the developer's idea from the iTunes description of using this app for tummy-time, especially for babies who are reluctant to spend time in this position - very helpful when traveling as this app packs easier than the activity pads and toys that baby may be used to.

I can also see this app being overly stimulating for some, and I wish the vibrations could be turned off within this app without having to alter the settings of the iPhone itself to do so. This added stimulus seems a bit much, as there is already a lot going on here to look at and listen to.

Personally, I would also recommend the use of “Airplane mode” as a caution when a baby at such a young age may be using one’s iPhone, as well as avoiding a very jarring experience of the phone ringing in the middle of playing with this application.

Whether this app is a good choice for one’s family is a personal decision, but this app is nicely done and worth looking into, especially for those who are intrigued by the use of high-contrast colors for their baby to look at and explore.

Snap and Share Kids Cam is an interesting app which aids young children in taking photos and emailing them to friends and family. Very easy to use once this app is set up, children as young as three are able to take a photo, review their image and choose a friend or family member with the click of a finger.

I take a lot of photos of my son, who will also now ask me to take a snapshot many times of things he finds amusing, sometimes asking me to email them to family members. This app easily allows a child his age to take and send photos himself, as this app is very simple to use and contains nice spoken prompts explaining each event leading up to the emailing of photos. So easy to use in fact, that I plan to use it myself as this application is surely quicker than taking a picture, finding it on the camera roll, tapping to email, typing the recipient's email address and tapping again to send the email on its way.

I did, however, find that setting this app up the first time was tricky to configure, quickly handing my phone off to my technically knowledgeable husband to fill in the blanks that ask for such information as host name and user name, the option of having the SSL on or off, and a question about a Server Port. I don’t think I would have gotten to the easy part of this app without help.

I do wish there was an “about” page explaining what these questions and options mean in order to educate adults, such as explaining that the host name will most likely be smtp.hotmail/yahoo./msn.com etc. depending on what email one is using, and that the user name is the email address used before the @hotmail.com or the like - at least this is what we are doing, and the SSL has to do with if the outgoing email is encrypted, a function of some email services. I still don’t know what the Server Port is, and I don’t think my husband changed it from the default. Looking back with hindsight, these questions don’t seem at all difficult to understand or complete, but at the time, I was frustrated that this app did not offer the simple information that my husband explained to me as he filled in these blanks.

I was able to figure out myself the other options offered within this app, as Image Setting is also included, as well as the adding of contacts to this app.

Image setting has the choice of sending small, medium, or large images, the option to save the image to one’s camera roll and the ability to “carbon copy” the image to one’s own email. A choice to use the rear or forward-facing camera is also an option, something that interests me as my son enjoys taking self-portraits of funny faces with my camera - images well worth passing on.

I also like that here the image-taking is simplified with a single button available to tap, as one does not need to worry about changing to video mode by accident, or by mistakenly tapping to swing the camera to the opposite side one is looking for, messing with the flash or the choice of HDF as happy fingers explore the camera functions of the iPhone without this app. I do wish, however, that this app had its own camera roll so that kids could see the images they have taken and sent without leaving this app. I would find this especially helpful as I get anxious with my son scrolling through the camera roll on my phone for fear of him deleting something.

Creating contacts for this app, although a little time-consuming, is not difficult. There is space here for a contact list of six people, nicely displayed with photos one will choose, allowing kids to email based on recognizing familiar faces. Whether taking a photo with this app or finding one from the camera roll, adding images is easy, but the cropping with the pinch or spread movements of fingers did not work well for me because when I got the photo the correct size, releasing my fingers often brought the image back to the original image I began with. Although annoying, I was able to find photos to use without too much trouble, making this issue not very important.

I think children will get a huge kick out of the new-found freedom to email images on their own, but I wish one could lock some of these contacts for when the child is simply goofing off, as many adults don’t really their in boxes flooded with multiple blurry images, and although I like the idea of allowing my son to be able to email his grand parents, I would like to avoid the inevitable hundreds of junk photos sent to them if my son had access to this app when he is alone with my phone. As a mom, I am ok with deleting many unwanted photos from my or my husband's email if I need, to but I want to spare others this fate.

It would also be nice if one were given a heads-up if the Airplane mode is on as the photos can’t be sent without a connection, and if possible, it would be nice that if on Airplane mode, the images to be sent would be saved and emailed when a connection was made in the future, as I commonly give my phone to my son with Airplane on for a number of reasons.

I also like the idea of having the option of a delay in the true sending of these photos until parents can look at and edit the images for their peace of mind if they wish, possibly with each contact having a more extensive list of sending options, such as choosing a delay for child contacts uploaded onto this app before the images are sent, but not bothering with a delay for mom or dad.

All in all, I do think this app is a very good way to allow kids to email on their own. It certainly makes the process easier, even for adults.

Spot it: Dobble is a really fun and challenging game for kids as well as adults. Based on the popular party game, known both as "Dobble" or "Spot It," this app consists of two cards that include 6-10 shapes, based on the level of difficulty. These cards must be compared to find the single object that is found on both cards. Easy to understand, this game is actually quite challenging, even for adults and is simply a lot of fun to play. Sometimes these corresponding objects that one is seeking will pop off the cards easily; other times players will feel quite stumped indeed. This is because these shapes, although the same, will be in varied sizes and angles, making them hard to pick out from the other choices given. There is a point system in this game as well, adding an incentive to find these objects as fast as possible - hopefully before the timer that encircles these cards makes a full rotation, and note that a mistake will cost you.

I really appreciate the music used here; it is jazzy and upbeat, adding an element of urgency and reminding me of background music from a 1960’s spy or crime thriller without adding undo stress to the game play - a balancing act that these developers get just right. Sound effects are included as well, adding to the fun as each item found sounds an associated sound effect - a bit of whimsy to this addictive game application. It is also nice that the music or sound effects can be silenced independently from each other, always a nice touch.

Players can play by themselves, or “duel” with a friend to see who can spot 15 common objects first. It would be good if in the future, this app could become universal because an iPhone is a little small to share between two people, working best sitting side-by-side, but will play fine from across one another as well. I have blown this app up 2X on the iPad, and I really like the extra elbow room this affords the players, but in so doing, the resolution becomes somewhat lacking, although two could play this way without any problems.

I really enjoy this game as I love the way it gets my mind working. I do wish, however, that the choosing of specific game modes were more intuitive. As of now my game play consists of “Time attack” where I find 15 objects, one per hand, as quickly as possible, but I am locked out of the other game modes. “Checkpoint," as I understand, has players makes as many matches as possible within a time limit. I have also not been able to gain access to “Hot Potato” - a mode for two players where one steals cards from the opponent, winning after one collects 10 cards. Three levels of difficulty are included as well, and I thought I would be able to move on after finishing the difficult level which includes 10 symbols per card, but with no such luck.

This application is a very pleasant surprise, as I am often not great at speed-based games, but being locked out of these other modes does frustrate me. In the future, I would like to see specific information about when these modes are available, and honestly, an option to have basic access to these sections without doing anything special would make me happy.

I do hope this note does not persuade others from downloading this game, as even if this app only contained the single and double player games that I have been able to play, it would be well worth the price tag of $0.99 and it is quite possible that others will figure out the locking system even if I have not, as I don’t pretend to be good at that sort of thing.

This will be a great application to play with my son as he gets a little older. I would love to play it with my husband as well, but his work schedule makes this difficult.

This app has made me very curious about the related party game, something I will be on the lookout for when my son shows interest and aptitude for this application. Like books, I find value in both the classic presentation of a game like this as well as its application counterpart. Although far into the future, I see myself buying this card game as a standard gift in grade school if my son allows this. I highly recommend this app!

This Too Shall Pass is a very unique and special storybook application with versions available for both iPad as well as iPhone. This tale, based on a traditional proverb of the same name and also part of the “Classic World Tales” series by the developers at Moving Tales, is excellent. Languages include Spanish, French, as well as English, and are great for bilingual families as it is intriguing how one can select a language mid-story if one chooses, and one can make his own recording as well.

Said to be inspired by Persian, Buddhist, and Jewish sources, this is a story of a kind, yet disillusioned king who searches for words of wisdom that can relieve him of his melancholy, as he worries that his state of mind may dampen the mood of his kingdom.

Here, the king gathers together the best minds available, but it is advice from a humble shoeshine man that he finds to be life-changing. I really like how this version of the story adds the introspective character of the shoeshine man, and it is he who delivers this simple and affirming notion that all things material and external change, instead of the hired scholars and wise men, as I appreciate how this proverb has been fleshed out into a story rich with character development not found in original sources, yet maintaining the tone of the traditional tale nicely.

In some versions of this ancient proverb, the king asks his advisers to design a ring that will make him happy when sad or sad when happy. I appreciate that here, instead of a ring, a bell is inscribed, paving the way for a lovely, moving ending in which the king creates a large bell detailed with this message to share with his kingdom.

In many ways, I am not a fan of 3D images in many applications, preferring the look of hand-drawn illustrations . I am, however, deeply impressed with the look and quality of the artwork. My desire for the beauty found in hand-crafted art is quenched as the images themselves do not look overly computer-generated, yet the 3D effects are simply to be marveled, yet does not call attention to themselves.

This story opens up with what one would call a continuous shot if dealing in film terms, escorting the viewer down a long winding path alongside many buildings as one approaches the king’s castle. The use of perspective and shadows is quite impressive to say the leas,t as are all the visuals of this ebook. The visual choices used to tell this story are stunning - difficult to describe with words, especially in the interest of not spoiling any of the magic.

These animations are wonderfully stylized, with a beautiful use of black, white, and many shades of gray, subtly highlighted as well with the use of blues or gold. I also love how the text of each page gently trickles down into place, a technique I have not seen before from other developers, and it is also interesting that the accelerometer can be used to have the text fall off the page if one moves the device left or right - also quieting the narration - a function that can also be turned off if one finds this distracting.

Although Autoplay is offered, I am also impressed with the fact that as the animations, sounds, and music used on each page are looped, so long after the narration is over, one can gaze at the wonderful images and listen to the music used to tell this story before swiping to the next page, something I found myself doing a lot of as I was enjoying this book.

There are not as many storybooks appropriate for kids older than the preschool set, and I think that this is an excellent choice for kids grade school and up. The vocabulary used here is extensive and could be difficult for many children to read on their own, but I don’t think many will have problems following this story if one listens to this tale with the narration, which is excellent, but can also be turned off as well if one wishes, as can the display of the text on the screen. It may be nice option as well for these words to be highlighted if the reader wishes, possibly helping reading comprehension of younger viewers.

The message that “This too shall pass” is certainly one that would benefit school-aged kids as the tribulations found at this age can seem overwhelming, although very temporary in adult eyes. This application reminds me of how my dad would wisely refer me to the words “DON’T PANIC” found on the cover of Douglas Adams “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” as fellow writer, Arthur C. Clarke has been quoted as saying "DON'T PANIC is perhaps the best advice that could be given to humanity." It also makes me think of the “It gets better” project, a term used to reach out to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth who in the midst of lives difficult to live, have a hard time understanding that their situations are temporary and that it does get better. No matter the specific circumstances, the knowledge of how temporary things are in the greater scheme of things is a very important concept for kids of any age to be exposed to. My son, at 3.5 years, is a little young to fully grasp this quite yet, I but I am looking forward to sharing this application with him as he gets a little older.

I really enjoy This Too Shall Pass. The music used here is equally as wonderful as are the visual elements. This story never gets old for me, as there is a randomization to the alternating views and sound effects used, creating a unique experience every time - great for reading again and again.

I am very impressed with what Moving Tales has delivered in this application. I am eagerly awaiting new titles of theirs, as I am sure they will be equally impressive. Do check them out in Itunes; you won’t be disappointed.

Every summer, my family would get into the car and drive off to some destination chosen by my parents. In some cases, our destinations were days away, and we would spend a great deal of time in the car. Everyone would play car bingo, Twenty Questions and license plate scavenger hunt as well as sing stupid songs from TV shows and movies. Of course, my sister and I also fought and moaned, “When will we get there?” time and time again. With my own family, my two sons sat in the back seat and played with their video games or listened to music with their iPods. Now, children see movies in their SUVs and play games with their iPads and iPods. Some how, the interaction between the kids and among the whole family has diminished. Well, admittedly, there is still “yellow punch buggy,” to get some interaction going!

Remembering these family days in thc car, I was pleased to see the app Creative Genius on the Go. This app offers 150 different scenarios for everyone to consider: 50 “What Ifs?” that prompt the players to describe how the impossible may be possible; 50 “Imagine That,” which are mind-stretching challenges for boosting brainpower and relieving boredom and screams from the back seat, and 50 “Wack-tivities,” or silly diversions for when everyone is tired and can’t wait to stop at a hotel and get something to eat. Here’s an example of one of these silly ones that still make you think: What if cars had feet instead of tires? How would traffic change? What products would be obsolete and what other ones would have to be made? What other changes would take place? What would this car look like?

Here’s a more thought-provoking question: What if you lived during prehistoric times? What would you wear? What would be your activities? How would they be different or the same as now? Would you like living during this time? These questions can be answered as a group or, one player can write a response on the attached notebook.

Besides the fact that I appreciate this app because it can be enjoyed by several people at a time rather than just one person attached to an electronic device, I also am pleased with the creativity and problem-solving skills it offers both children of all ages and adults. Learning and creativity should not be something that comes to an end after the last years in college. It needs to be continually fostered. Activities such as Creative Genius on the Go stimulates new thoughts and ideas. There are an unlimited number of ways that these questions can be answered. It encourages the players to really stretch their minds. With the prehistoric question, for example, it could easily be answered, “I would live in a cave.”

Now, with imagination, the player can describe that cave and how people acted inside. What was it like during different seasons? What about at different ages? Can the players imagine a house where the parents and children ate, played, worked and slept in the same room? Such questions can also move to the here and now and encourage communication among the family. What about the fact that the two brothers, who are playing the game, are sharing a bedroom? What benefits or disadvantages does this offer to them? How can they get along better in their room? Thanks to these developers for making players actually think rather than just react to a crazy bird.

Presidents vs. Aliens is another fabulous universal educational app from developer Dan Russell-Pinson, who also created the hit apps Stack the States, Rocket Math, and Stack the Countries.

This app focuses on the knowledge of U.S. presidents, as correct answers gives the player a chance to defend national landmarks from an alien invasion.

A variety of questions is included within this app, including the identifying of the 44 U.S. presidents by their picture, political party. nicknames, quotes, as well as general facts, historical events, and their predecessors and successors. Questions can be chosen from these categories randomly or from selected areas of knowledge, a nice touch which also changes the degree of difficulty.

When a correct answer is made, one has a chance to fight an army of invading aliens that can be seen in formation across the sky, and it is nice that a famous landmark is included as the backdrop for this game, further adding to the educational aspect of this game as well as added fun.

To defeat these aliens, fling a president's head at these invaders, trying to knock as many down as possible. It may take a few tries to get all of them and this game allows the players to keep trying with new heads until the level is complete.

I like that a physics engine is used here, something to keep in mind as one lines up the head toss with the use of an arrow showing the angle at which the head will be thrown, as the president heads thrown and aliens being hit respond as if gravity is a factor in their reactions. If one is lucky, aliens will bounce into each other, taking themselves out as well having the presidents bounce off red brick structures that are included for the purpose of ricocheting off of and hitting more aliens, but be aware that these structures can also be lost if shot at directly.

If three questions are answered correctly, one gets to use “executive powers,” allowing three head tosses at once. Finally, when all the aliens have been defeated, the level is over and the player wins a president for his personal collection in the interest of collecting all 44.

It is great that this app, like Russell-Pinson’s others, includes up to five players and one guest allowing large families or small classes to create personal profiles, and kids will enjoy choosing their personal president avatar to distinguish their saved info from others'.

Two other mini-games are included as well that one must unlock by earning enough presidents, "Heads of State" and "Executive Orders" to further learn about president identification as well as arranging them in correct order.

An excellent resource is also provided, namely a set of presidential flash cards complete with all the information needed to be able to answer these questions, nicely outlined in a very clear and useful style that will aid in the retention of these facts.

I have had a lot of fun with this app; so will children grade school and up. Undoubtably there is a lot to be learned a lot from playing Presidents vs. Aliens, and I appreciate the level of difficulty offered when tossing president heads at the aliens, as there is no time limit in deciding what angle a good toss would be and that persistence will be rewarded, as one can answer as many questions as needed, earning and tossing heads as needed to win the level.

The physics used in Dan Russell-Pinson games is always an educational experience itself, and this is no exception. This game is a must-have for grade schooler, as well as for anyone learning about the U.S. presidents or interested in history. Great for families, parents and older kids, all will find themselves drawn to this app as much as I was, playing long after I needed to for the sake of this review.

Do also check out the other apps by this amazing developer. His ability to mix educational content with fun and engaging games is top-notch, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. I think his applications are some of the best educational interactive games available in tunes.

Create A Monster HD is a very creative app for iPad allowing players to create the monster of their dreams with some unique and very helpful features not typically included in apps such as this.

The app offers many different choices including head shape as well the basic eyes, nose, mouth and ears choices, with these choices typically including a monster slant to them, such as bloodshot eyes, single eyeball, and varied fang choices included with the mouths. There are many odd selections available for great interesting details like horns, scars, and antennae, as well as some quirky choices like hair pieces and eyeglasses, plus much more.

It is very nice that tutorial is offered that guides you step by step, something worth looking at. I did not find this app as intuitive as others like it without instruction, but with a quick view of the tutorial, this app becomes very easy to use for both adults and children - I would think grade school and up, possibly slightly younger.

I really like how this app uses some basic principles found in programs like Photoshop to resize and rotate elements, made simpler here by allowing players to zoom in and out as well as rotate parts with ease with a single finger - something I often have trouble with and get frustrated by in other situations.

It is equally impressed by the ability to center elements with the tap of a finger as well as create a symmetrical monster as this app can also copy an element such as an eye or ear to the other side, two things I have spent way too long perfecting on my own in other apps such as this that do not contain these features. I am especially smitten by the ease of symmetry here, as in nature, the healthy, fertile “beautiful” creatures show these gifts oftentimes with more symmetrical features, and the perfectionist in me wants nothing more than to create the perfect monster.

There are some other nice features worth noting. One can save the monster within the app, take a photo later to be found in the iPad’s camera roll, as well as emailed, Facebooked or Twitted, and it is always nice to be able to go back to a finished face and keep working if one chooses to do so. I have not printed my monsters from this app as our iPad is not set up this way, but it is a nice choice to have. My favorite option is the ability to clone my monster so I have saved the original as well as continued working on a clone to try out the plethora of options available.

This is a most creative app that can really bring out the artist in kids who are very imaginative but who may or may not be good at drawing representationally. I really enjoy the monster-themed body parts included, as I enjoy making the creepiest ghoul possible, but it is nice that a cute, friendly monster can also be designed from these options. It is great fun that once the eyes are included, they blink from time to time, adding to the off-beatness found in this application. I have found myself really focused on my creation, and one can spend as little or as much time as desired with these creatures. I am excited to show this app to my son as he gets a little older; I think he will enjoy this as much as I do.

Yoku-Gami is a game that represents, to me as a parent, everything that is right in the app store, in relation to games for kids. It's a puzzle game that looks and plays like a standard match-3 game but is, in reality, anything but.

It is designed by the great mind of Reiner Knizia, a German board game designer heralded for his simple designs that lead for complex gameplay. Being a fan of his, I jumped on Yoku Gami and it's been a game my daughters and I have enjoyed immensely, and I feel happy in knowing that they're not just playing a mindless game, but instead are really working their brains as they play.

The entire goal of the game is similar to match games, clear the tiles. But how Yoku-Gami works is this: "If the greatest number in the group equals the total of all the other numbers in the group, you have a successful turn". So if you select a 3, 2 and a 5, your 3 and 2 equal 5 and you remove those tiles and get a score. That score is based on how many numbers are in the group and if you create groups of 5 or more numbers, you then get a bonus.

There are 3 different modes. Endless is just that, it continues until you can go no further. In Arcade, your goal is to clear a whole role or column of numbers, the game also ends when you can go no further. In Level Mode you try to clear as many numbers in each grid. You start with 24 levels, and at the end of each level when there are no more turns, you lose as many lives as there are numbers left. You gain lives when you create groups of 4 or more. As long as you have lives, you continue progressing in the game.

I was incredibly surprised with how far my 6 year olds got in the game, but for some reason, they were able to go quite far for their age and math skills. I know they are a bit young for it, and it isn't a game they can play for hours, as the difficulty does continue to ramp up, but they have enjoyed what we do play together quite a bit. As well, a nice touch to make it kid-friendly, is that good old "Yoki" is always there to tap on and get a hint from when needed.

If you have a child that might be struggling with math, or one that loves math and just wants a fun way to put his/her skill to the test, I honestly believe Yoku-Gami is a stellar choice. I'd never want to leave a child in front of any gaming system for hours, but this really is an honest-to-goodness learn-while-playing gaming that does exactly what it sets out to do, and I do not doubt that it will certainly be a help to those kids who struggle with math.

I'd also like to make it clear that it is equally great for parents. As silly as it might sound, I've seen an honest increase in my math skills through playing it, and honestly that's worth the price of entry right there. All-in-all, Yoku-Gami is a hidden gem that I wish more people knew about, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

For many reasons, storytelling is important for children of all ages—and, even adults. Long before writing and way before the invention of the printing press, people would pass their history and culture from one generation to the next with storytelling. Consider the many different skills involved for the participants. The storytellers needed a rich vocabulary, excellent memory of facts and information, imagination, acting ability and body language. The viewers required many of the same skills: vocabulary, memory and imagination. They were learning the stories in order to pass them on to others.

Children hear many stories today. In fact, they are bombarded with stories from everything they watch, read and play. I truly am a fan of today’s technology and all that it offers children for education and entertainment. Yet, as with any new technology, there are always pros and cons. In many cases, the TV shows, videos, and computer games stifle creativity and imagination. It is not necessary to imagine a character’s appearance or what it is like to fly on a dragon. The players can actually see that character or get on the dragon and fly to different locations. The videos spoon feed stories, plots and endings.

This whole introduction brings me to the app Mom’s Garden: A Handmade Story. I greatly appreciate this app for several reasons. First, it encourages parents and children to spend time together. Especially for younger children, this is not an app that can be enjoyed alone. Most important, it requires making up a story. Your children can choose a character(s) and background and move the character around anywhere in that background. They can also change the expression on this character. Then you need to create a story about this character by actually typing in the words. The sentences can be placed anywhere in the background, as well.

Here’s a very simple story I made up. I chose the castle as the background. I then added a boy and girl as characters and placed them smiling side-by-side in front of the castle. I saved that page and went to page two. I showed only the boy and typed in, “Do you want to play with me?” On the third page, I showed only the girl and typed in “Ok.” Finally, on the fourth page, I showed both the boy and girl together again. Yes, a very simple story, but a story none the less. The child needs to decide where the story occurs, who will be in the story and what takes place. The parent can ask the child to relate what is happening to the characters and type in very simple words and sentences. Older children will be able to read these words and even help their parents spell or type them on the page.

I would like to see additional backgrounds in a future app version. The background buttons are difficult to see, because they are very light. The boy and girl characters need to be more ethnically diverse. The author definitely needs someone to proof the copy and correct the spelling errors. However, I love the idea of this app and would very much like to see more like it.